Can you catch shad with lures or bait? I always catch them with a cast net, and I have heard that they only eat vegetation.
heck yeah you can, they just won't be hooked in the mouth! i have caught shad on rattlin rogues, fle fly spoons, rat l traps, and numerous crankbaits while fishing for walleye and sand bass. when the shad spawn or congregate in a given area, you will snag them as you retrieve your lure. but they are not trying to eat it. i am referring to gizzard and threadfin shad, not the american shad.
I don't know about where you're located, but when the American/Hickory shad make their run up the rivers in the spring you can catch them on lures but that's on the coastal plains of the east coast. Doubt they get all the way up there:smile2: These are big shad too, 2-6lbs.
ive caught shad on my hooks before not meaning to but best way catch them is with a throw net usually they run in schools.
Where do you guys catch these shad when the water is up? We have a creek here in Mo. that has tons of shad when the water is running normal but when it is up they all disappear! Last time out I threw my net 50 times and caught only a couple..couldn't find them anywhere!
That happens here,too.get up in slow waterwith weeds or grass,stuff usually above water.Shad need to swim or die,so they don,t fight current.Lastyear,I found them outside creeks in flood water.Hope this helps.
